Stitch-indenting machine.



E. F; MOWER.

STITCH INDENTING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 2e, 1908.

LQMQZL Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETESHEBT l.

E. F. MOWBR.

STITCH INDENTNG MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG.26,1908.

Eateuted Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN F. MOWER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATEESON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STITCH-INDENTIN G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25,1913.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it. known that I, EDWIN F. Mowsn, of

Boston, in the county of' Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stitch-Indenting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

T his invention relates to machines intended primarily for indenting the upper side of that portion of the welt or sole of a boot or shoe which projects beyond the up er and extends around the forepart and or thus forming whaty are sometimes referred to as impression stitches. In the usual McKay shoe such indentations are formed in the outer or tap sole while in a Goodyear or Mc- Kay welt shoe they are formed in the welt. However, the welt may be considered as a part of the outer sole of a Goodyear' or -Mc- Kay welt. shoe for the purpose of the present application.. and therefore, to avoid unnecessary repetition, where the operation of indenting a sole is hereinafter referred to, it is to be understood as including also the indenting of a welt. Inasmuoh as the operation of indenting is commonly performed after the shoe is lasted and usually near the end of the series of operations involved in the manufacture of the shoe, it is particularly necessary to avoid in'uring the up er by allowing the indenting lolude or mem er to Contact therewith. There is considerable danger of so injuring the upper where it proJects to a considerable extent over the portion of the sole to be indented. It is desirable, however, to have the iiidentations extend as nearly as possible to the upper. In the use of the machines of the class dcscrihed, as now commonly adjusted and operated, the indentations terminate a considerable distance from the upper. Various constructions have been proposed by which the indenting member may act upon the sole close to the upper, such constructions involving an inward movement of the member toward the upper as it a preaches the sole to form an indentation. go far as applicant is aware, however, the indenting member, aecording to these pro osed constructions has always been arrange to reciprocate in a vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the sole and to its edge.

One feature of the present invention is the provision of one or more indenting members or blades mounted to travel approximately in a rotary path in their movement toward and from the sole for indenting it and also mounted to move in and out transversely of the sole so that the indentations may extend, if desired, close to the upper.

Another feature of the invention is the provision in a machine in which the indentmg member is movable in and out in this manner of a guard adjacent the acting end of the indenting tool to protect the upper.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the indenting member is carried toward and from the sole by the rotation of a cai'rier or holder in which said member is mounted and as the member approaches the sole it. is moved in its carrier substantially parallel both to the axis of rotation and to the surface of the sole to carry the end of the member under the over-hanging up er.

A further feature of the invention is the "f provision of guiding means, as, for example, a stationary member having a cam froove directly engaging the indenting member, to move the same forward as it approaches the sole. Thus the machine may be employed for indenting fine shoes such as those made of delicate materials or patent leather.

\Vhile it is contemplated that a single indentin member may be employed, it is deemc preferable to provide a plurality ot' such members arranged in a rotary carrier or holder approximately in a circle. IVith such a construction the proportions of the parts may be such that several of the indenting members shall be in engagement with the sole at the same time and moreover the sole will be engaged continuously during the indenting operation by the indenting meinbers, which b ecome active successively.

Another feature of the invention is to so construct the machine that the ressure upon the projecting edge of the so e may be in lines perpendicular thereto. That is, I secure such a relation between the indenting mechanism and the shoe support that the pressure upon the projecting edge of thc sole will be direct, or perpendicular to the edge of the sole and the face of the support, instead of at an inclination thereto.

The invention may be embodied in a va riety of instruiiientalitics, though I have illustrated upon the drawings the best form of machine which I have devised for accomplishing these urp'oses. In this preferred embodiment o the inventionl rovide a suitable support or rest upon whic i the sole of the shoe may be piaced and supported from its edge substantially to its median line. In operative relation tothis support, I arrange a fudge wheel or indenting wheel the axis of which is substantially parallel with the plane of the operative portion of the support, so that t-lie pressure exerted by the wheel is perpendicular to the o erative face of the support. Instead of ma ing the wheel frustoconical' with the base outward, as heretofore, I employ an iiidenting wheel or tool the peripheral surface of which is substantially cylindrical (or slightly tapering or converging outwardly), so that the line of pressure is perpendicular to the teeth or ribs of the wheel. Conse uently, when the edge of the shoe is intro( uced between the. wheel and the support, the pressure is directly downward againstv the shoe so that there is no tendency whatever to move one layer of the projecting portion of the shoe relatively to another layer, as there is when the wheel has considerable taper..

Referring to the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an indenting machine embed ing the invention. Fig. 9. represents a p an view of the same. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged vertical transverse section through the indenting tool. Fig. 4 represents an enlarged horizontal section through the saine. Fig. 5 illustrates the action of the toothed o1 ribbed members upon the woi'k. Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal vertical section through the entire machine. Fi 7 represents a front elevation of the niac iine somewhat enlarged with the Huard removed and a portion of the head broTten out to show the studs on the toot-hed or ribbed members or blades. Fig. 8 illustrates how the toothed members are projected beyond the guard. Fig. t) illustrates a partial develo ment of the stationary cam which eti'ects tie longitudinal movement of the said toothed members. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are views of one of the toothed members.

Referring to the aceompanyine drawings, 20 represents a column or standaard having forwardly and rearwardly extending brackets 2l, 2Q in which is jouriialed a main driving shaft 23 which may be rotated by any suitable means such as a gear "24. Arranged at the front of the machine is the shoe or work support indicated at 25. It is illustrated as consisting of a geared wheel having a flat horizontal upper surface and being journaledupon the upstanding end of a bent rod 29, adjustably secured in the bracket 21 by set. screws 27. The shoe su port 25 is loose upon the upright end of tie rod and its hub rests upon a collar 28 secured to said rod. The said support is provided with beveled gear teeth which interniesh with a driving beveled gear 2G on the end of the shaft Q3.

i 30 indicates a movable head which is mounted upon the pivot 21 passed laterally through ears or lugs projecting upwardly from the. bracket Q2. The front port-ion oi1 the head is adapted to swing upwardly or downwardly1 between guides 3520 extending upwardly trom the bracket Q1. Journaled in the frontl and rear ends oi the head, is a shaft. 32 having a gear 83 interineshng with, and driven by, a gear 34 on the shalt Q3. This shaft. 39. serves to actuate the indentinfr tool or wheel, the front end of the shaft orming, as it were, a portion of the tool, and constituting a holder for the indeiiting members. It is provided in its pci'iphery with a plurality of V -shaped grooves or guideways 35 in which are )laced toothed or ribbed indcnting inemiers, bars or blades 3G. Each blade or tool member is illustrated as being irovided with tw'o ribs or teeth 3T, but it will be understood that a greater or less number of teeth may be formed on each member as desired. These teeth are formed on the ends ofl said members as shown in Fig. 1Q. rllie rear portion of each member is held in place by a collar 38 which is attached to the front of the head. The front face of the colhii is formed as a cam against which rest radially-projecting studs or fingers 89 on the mein )ers 3G. The collar 38 is provided with a rim 40 within which is inserted a collar 41 held therein and secured against rotation by screws 42. The inner face of the collar vl1 is coniplenient'al to the opposing face of the collar 38, these faces being separated to form a stationary cani groove for the studs 3l). The collar 41 also serves the purpose ot' assisting in holding the members 36 iu their grooves or guideways, said collars B8 and -i1 constitutino' bearings for the iudeutiiig tool. The tootheld or ribbed portions of the niembers extend outward beyond the colliir 41, so as to project over the surface of the shoe support, as shown in Figs. 4 and rlhe opposing faces of the collars or cani members 38 and 41 are so formed With the projecting portion a on the cam 38 and a recess b inthe face of the cam 41, that,when the shaft 3Q is rotated,each blade will beheld in a retracted position until it approaches the shoe support 25, at which time it will be advanced under the overlianging upper, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8, into position for iiidenting the work. Then the blade reaches an iniaginary line perpendicular to the surface of the work stip ort and cutting the axis of the shaft 32, the lade will have been projected to its greatest extent, as shown in Fig. 5, and will have been pressed into the work to Ilfi form an indentation. As the shaft continues to rotate, the blade will be retracted, the retracting movement taking place as or after the ribs or teeth thereon leave the work. In view of this description, it will be seen that the toothed members are rotated about a common center, but are independently movable longitudinally into active engagement. with the work which is placed upon the work support 25. The work support and the indenting tool are both rotated by power at substantiall the same peripheral speed and thus fee the work.

The forward ends of those members which are out of engagement with the work, are covered by a guard or gage indicated as a whole at 43. It consists of a plate whose sideedges are curved so as to overlap the periphery of the tool, Figs. l and 8, and which is formed with a bent shank 44 which is secured to the rim 40 of the collar 38 by a screw 45. The upper of the shoe may rest against the said guard, as shown in Fig. 8, and as the blades or members are rotated, they project under the guard across the projecting sole or welt so as to form indentations therein, the ends of the said mezrbers extending into the welt crease and coming into close proximity to the point at which the upper is attached to the shoe. As a convenient means for lifting the head and raising the indentinfr tool away from the work support, I provide a two-armed lever 46 fulcrumed upon a stud 4T and connected at one end by a link 48 with a pin 49 projecting laterally from the front end of the head 30. The other end of the lever 46 is adjustnbly connected to a rod 50, the lower end of which is connected by a link 5l, or other form of suitable connect-ion, with a foot treadle not shawn. The said rod 50 passes through a guide formed by a bracket 52 on the column, and againstsaid bracket rests a spring 53, the upper end of which bears against the. hand wheel 54 or nut placed on a threaded portion of the rod and adjustable thereon to vary the tension of the spring. The spring forces the rod yieldingly upward so as to hold the head and the indenting tool downward yieldingly toward the work sup ort with a pressure sutiicient to produce int entations of the desired depth in the projecting sole edge.

On the bracket 21 is placed a stop 57 which may consist of a piece of leather or other suitable material which limits the movement of the indenting tool toward the work support. By de ressing the rod 50, the head may be raiset against the tension of the spring.

The indenting tool may be substantially cylindrical but I prefer to make its operative end slightly converging outwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 8, since such a construction tends to secure a regular and accurate indenting of the projecting edge of the sole at the toe inasmuch as the surface speed of each active portion of the tool will correspond approxi, ately with that of the engaged portion of the work.

The operation of the machine will be well understood from the description hereinbefore given. As the indenting tool and work support rotate, they feed the work along, the blades of the indenting tool being successively advanced as they approach the work, so as to extend entirely across the projecting edge of the shoe, and then retracted into inactive position where they will not interfere with the overhanging upper. The moven'ient of each blade in the direction of its length while in engagement with the work tends to burnish the surfaces of the indentations being formed.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention, and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all ot' the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim is 1. In an indenting machine, an indeuting member shaped to enter the crease between the projecting margin of the sole of a shoe and theoverhanging upper, said member being constructed and arranged for movement bethn a curved path toward and fro'u said margin for forming indentations therein and also for movement transversely ot the sole, in combination with means for projecting said member outwardly into the crease as said member approaches the sole, for rctracting it as it leaves the sole and for then `maintaining it retracted until it is again about to come into engagement with the sole.

Q. In an indenting machine, a work support and an indentmg member constructed and arranged to move toward and from the active surface of the work support and to move also in a direction substantially parallel to said surface and transversely ot the work, in combination with n cans for projectin r said member outwardly as it approacies the work support, for reti-acting said member as it rccedes from the work support and for then maintaining it. rctracted while it is relatively far t'rom the work support.

il. In an indenting machine, a flat work support. having a horizontal surface. an iudenting member rotatable about a horizontal axis and overlapping said surface, and power actuated means for moving said member both about said axis to indent and feed the work and also substantially parallel to said surface to burnish the indentations.

4. In an indenting machine, a rotary holder, a member movable therewith to iudent the projecting n argin of the sole ot' a shoe and guiding means directly engaging the member to move it in and out relatively tol the holder, parallel to the sole and transversely of the sole edge.

In an indenting machine, a member movable to indent the projecting margin of the sole of a shoe and a relatively stationary guiding cam engaging said member to cause it to move outwardly as it approaches the sole.

6. An indenting tool com )risine` a plurality of substantially para lel bIades or members movable about a common axis, and independent-ly movable longitudinally of said axis.

T. An indent-in tool, comprising a plurality of parallel lades or members having ribs or teeth, said blades or members beine' horizontally movable relatively to eac i other.

8. An indenting tool, comprising a holder having axially-extending guideways, and a plurality of indenting members longitudinally movable. in said guideways.

9. In an indenting machine, a plurality of substantially parallel indenting members constituting an indenting tool, means for rotating said members about a common axis, and means for reciprocating said members longitudinally of said axis.

10. An indenting tool, comprising a series of indenting members grouped together to form a ribbed wheel and movable 1n the direction of their length relatively to each other.

11. In an indenting machine, a series of indenting members grouped together to form a ribbed wheel, means for rot-ating said wheel, and means for advancing and retracting said members successively in he direction of their length.

12. In an indenting machine., a work support, a rotary holder having a guideway and arranged in operative relation to said work support, an indenting member longitudinally movable in said guidewny, means for rotating said bolder to enlise said member to move in a circle tangential to a plane parallel with said work support., and means for projecting said member as it. approaches said work support and for retracting said member as it leaves said work support.

13. In an indenting machine, a work support, a rotary bolder, a series of indenting members on said holder, means for rotating said holder, and a cam mechanism for reciprocating said members longitudinally of the axis of rotation of said holder.

14. In an indenting machine, a shoe support, a rotary indenting tool comprising a Series of members arranged approximately in a circle, the tool ta ering toward its outer end and being smallest at such end, and means for moving said members outwardly in the general direction of the axis of the circle as they approach the sole of the shoe.

4 15. In an indenting machine, a plurality fof indenting members movable toward and ,from the projecting margin of the sole of a vshoe for forming mdentations therein and Ealso movable independently in and out transversely of the sole, in combination with 1aguard adjacent the acting ends of said members to protect the upper.

16. In an indenting machine, a work `guard or gage, a work su )port thereunder, a series ot indenting mem ers back ot said gage, means for rotating said members about a common axis, and means for projecting :said members successively under and past said guard or gage to operate on the work l 17. In an indenting machine, a rotatable work support, a rotatable indenting wheel, means for rotating said work support and wheel to feed the work, said wheel compris- `ing a plurality of longitudinally movable indenting members, and means for reciprocating said members longitudinally.

18. In an indenting machine, a rotatable work support, a rotatable indenting wheel` means for rotating said work support. and wheel to feed tbe work, a work gage or guard at the front end of said wheel, said wheel comprising a plurality ot' indepemt ent indent-ing members, and means t'or sur` cessively projecting the ends of said mem bers in the general direction of the axis o" the wheel beyond said gage or guard and retracting them.

' 19. In an indenting machine, a work suport for receiving the sole of a shoe to be indented, a series of indentingmembers,ineans for moving said members independently and successively in the direction of their length to cause their ends to enter the welt crease of the shoe, and means for moving said members in a different direction to feed the shoe.

; 20. In an indenting machine, a circular series of indenting,r members provided with ribs or teeth` a rotary holder therefor, ra dial projections on said members and two separated collars encircling said members` arranged Side by sido and forming a ram groove` in consequence of which tbc rotation of said bolder effects a circular and reciproeatory movement of said members.

21. In an indenting machine, a circular series of parallel indenting members, having at their ends radial ribs or teeth, a rot'ary holder for said members, and means for successively projecting the toothed ends ot' said members in the general direction of the axis of the holder beyond the end ot' said bolder.

22. In an indent-inf.,r machine, a work support, a circular series of substantially parallel independently movable indentingr members, and mechanism by which carb member is projected across the work into position for indent-ing, is then pressed against the work to form an indentation, and is withdrawn substantially as set forth.

23. A stitch-impression machine having, in combination a plurality of tool-memlms arranged to engage the work successively and to operate continuously thereon, and means for imparting independent movement to said members in a direction substantially parallel with the surface of the work.

Q4. A stitch-impression machine having, in combination, a plurality of tool-members arranged to engage the work successively and to operate continuously thereon, and means for advancing the tool-members suc.- cessively into, and retracting them from, the crease between the shoe-upper and the Welt or sole-margin.

25. A stitch-impression machine having, in combination, a rotatively-mounted tool comprising a plurality of work-engaging members arranged in a circle, and means for imparting independentmovements to said members, as the tool rotates, substantially in the direction of the axis of `rota tion of the tool.

26. A stitch-impression machine having, in combination, a rotatively-mounted tool comprising a. plurality of work-engaging members arranged in a circle, and means for advancing the tool-members successively, and substantially in the direction of the axis of the tool, as they a proach the surface of the work in the rotation of the tool.

2.7. Astitch-impression machine having, in combination, a rotatively-mounted tool comprising a plurality of work-engaging members arranged in a circle, and means for moving each tool-member substantially in the direction of the axis of the tool while itis in contact with the work to burnish the impression.

28. A stitch-impression machine having, in combination, a work-support for supporting a shoe, a rotatively-mounted tool comprising a plurality of members ar ranged in a circle, each tool-member haring an extremity provided with an impression-forming tooth and formed to enter the crease between the shoe-upper and the welt or sole-margin of a shoe on the work-support, means for rotatinfv the tool, and means for advancing the toolj-memhers longitudinally with respect to said teeth and into the crease as they approach the work-support and for retracting the tool-members as they recede from the work-support.

29. A stitch-impression machine having. in combination. a rotatively-mounted tool comprising a plurality of bars formed to engage the work at their forward ends and arranged in a gcnerally-cyliudrical form. and means for sliding the bars independ ently and longitudinally in succession to advance and retract them as the tool rotates.

30. In a machine ot' the class described, a rotary holder and an indentng member movable therein substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

3l. In a machine of theclass described, a plurality ot indenting members arranged approximately in a circle and movable successively into engagement with the broject ing margin of the sole of a shoe, and means to move the members in the general direction of the axis of the circle as they ap preach the work during the continuous indenting operation.

In testimony whereof I have atiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ED\VIN F. MOVER..

Vitnesses:

IVXLLIAM H. Timex, J. Hanny S'riLEs.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for ave cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

